The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-23
REACTIONARY TALK.
Fair Criticism of John Sherman's
Springfield Speech.

Springfield Speech.
The statesman who, few months
ago, asked the business men of Cincin-
matt to formulate an economical and
financial policy for the politicians. ON
the ground that the latter were up 4
stump and were incapable of extricat-
ing the Government from the difficulties
surrounding it. found words and time
at Springfield, in this State. to discuss
all the ancient history that he is famil-
lar with, and to air as much of his con-
temptible partisanship as the occasion
would admit of. Unable to suggest
remedy for any evil of to-day, the poll
tician who presumes on the ignorance
and prejudice of his hearers goes back
over the years and comes out strong
on questions long since settled forever.
No man in America is more formidable
in this role than John Sherman. No
man in America is weaker. more use
less and more dumb in the presence of
the prOdigious questions now confront
ing the Nation, every one of them i'm
portant in its way, than John Sher-
man.
Senator Sherman presumes to assert
that there is something in the "tenden-
cies" of one party which makes it pref
cradle to another, and, to sum up his
evidence on this mOmentous point, he
declares that in the first place Cleve-
land was elected by fraud, and has
characterized his Administration by
appointing rebels to Office and treating
the Union veteran with ignominy. In
this is to be seen the same old assump-
ton of personal, moral, patriotic and
intellectual superiority by one party
over another without a shadow OF
basis, and, in fact, contradicted by
every event of Importance in the last
century. For every Republican patriot,
wise man, good man, handsome man
wcll-dressed man or clean man, a
Democrat of equal standing may be
produced. For every rebel in place
under Cleveland a "rebel'' can be
found who was in place under the Re-
publicans. For every Union soldier"
smitten..by Cleveland one can be found
who was smitten by a Republican.
These things are conceded everywhere
in life save in the political stump or in
the columns of the editorial swash.
buckler.
1t is discouraging beyond measure
to see a man who has long been con-
spicuous in public life and who aSpires
to high things pitching his canvass
for the Presidency on so low and
wretched = plane. The time has come
for something better. The people seem
to be demanding something better.
They have something UNNECESSARILY
better ut Washington already. If the
John Shermans can not rise to the
level reached by the present clean and
progressive Administration and take
issue with it, not on questions with
which it has and can have nothing to
do, but upon the issues in the solution
of which it is now engaged they will
cut a sorry figure next year. The re-
dictionary is never popular in a free
country.
In the coming Presidential election
the Republican candidates will not be
asked whether they will fight the
Southern Confederacy or not. They
will not be questioned as to their stand
ing on the Missouri Compromise or on
the Kansas and Nebraska question.
They will not be catechized with ref
erence to the reconstruction of the
States lately in rebellion. 1t will
make no difference whether they fought
as Union soldiers OF stayed at home,
rs John Sherman did. What they
will have to meet will be the record OF
an honest. painstaking, patriotic DEM
ocratic Administration They may pre-
fer something else, but that will be the
thing which will confront them.-Chi-
c010 Hok.0JH